The final week of 2010 is upon us and so I believe the cliche thing to do is write a year in review post. I am calling it the "OTW Edition" for Off the Woodwork, I'm going to try and incorporate that more this upcoming year, yes, also a blog cliche. So here you have it, my version of a year in review... Enjoy!
December...
Yea, yea, yea this was 2009 but this is my blog so I can do what I want. Plus, it was a soccer game that sparked mine and Emma's relationship so this makes the list. I returned home on Christmas break and got a call to come up to the local indoor dome to sub in on my buddy Eric's team. I think I scored a goal, but more importantly Emma decided it would be a good idea to see me again and the rest is history.
I played two more games over that break in a return between the posts for the playoffs of a friends league. Naturally, we won the championship, with a shutout in the finals.
Also, the World Cup draw was made as the USA drew England, Slovenia and Algeria.
January...
Okay, so this is where the real review can start I suppose. In review this was to be the semester I spent abroad in England, a mere 30 minutes by train to Liverpool. I had been set on this for almost a full year before I balked and decided I wanted to spend my last semester of college domestically. Fortunately, my favorite team, Liverpool got the memo and decided to rattle off their worst season in nearly a decade. They were only in the middle of their downfall around this time but the writing was on the wall when their BIG signing was Maxi Rodriguez.
This month also marked the start of Intramural Indoor Soccer Season as Scrantonicity 2 looked poised for a three peat and my new Co-ed team, The Main Attraction, was an early favorite to bring home the T-shirt.
February...
Scrantonicty 2 and The Main Attraction were wrapping up their undefeated regular seasons. Liverpool kept losing. I celebrated my 22nd birthday and the Champions League Round of 16 got underway.
March...
Went on spring break to Indian Rocks Beach, Florida. Juggled the soccer ball on the beach so I think that counts for this review.
Scrantonicity 2 was upset in penalty kicks in the first round of the intramural playoffs but The Main Attraction went on to capture the title as far and away the best team in the Co-ed bracket.
April...
As was already aware, a new team would be unsettling the usual "Big Four" in the English Premier League. What few expected was that Tottenham would be that team. Chelsea and Manchester United were battling down to the wire for the title and the Champions League Final was set to be Inter Milan v. Bayern Munich.
May...
I graduated college on May 8th, outside, in the snow. Chelsea won the title on the final day of the season, Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final and we were a mere one month away from the World Cup!
June...
World Cup, everyday, all the time. Wasn't the summer great? The USA, with some help from Robert Green, drew with England in the first game of Group C that set the table for an pulse racing three weeks. Remembering back to watching the Slovenia match I recall having two thoughts. The first was at half time which was a very sure "Well, there is always 2014." Boy was I wrong. After an inspired second half and an absolutely BRUTAL call by the official I was suddenly thinking "Holy crap, we are still alive!" As we all know, this set up a must win match against Algeria, which 90+ minutes into looked like a hopeless dream. Until an Algeria cross went from Howard, to Donovan, to Altidore-off the goalie-saved!-rebound-Donovan-on-the-put-back-GOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!!!!! Absolute ecstasy across the country. I have goosebumps writing it right now. Sure we lost in the first round to Ghana, again. But I know I will remember that moment for the rest of my life.
EDIT: Emma and I also started a co-ed soccer team with friends in the area. We were cleverly named Melons & Bananas and although we both left before the end of the season, we won the championship and received coolers as a prize. Note to tournament/league officials just give cash or t-shirts as a prize, not something stupid like a rolling cooler. I also scored a "beautiful" diving/falling header in my swan song departure game that easily ranks in my top 5 as best goals scored.
July...
In the whirlwind that was the month of July I found myself watching the World Cup final by myself in the apartment in Athens. For all the criticism the game received, I thought it was entertaining and the best team won. I thought it was a great World Cup, and maybe that's because it was the first one where I saw almost every match. I thought the USA was one of the most exciting teams (at least most dramatic) in the tournament and I think the entire country was swept up in World Cup fever which was pretty cool. I will not however miss vuvuzela's.
August...
With a rekindled dedication to watching the Premier League I followed the first weekend's morning games on ESPN's gametracker at work. Blackpool proved early they would be a promoted team to be reckoned with and Chelsea took an early stranglehold on the league. Liverpool got off to a sluggish start and even found themselves in the drop zone! And Emma and I got engaged! (See why December was important!)
September...
For my devoted followers, you will already know what happened in my life. But for my first time readers, I started reffing and playing in a men's league at the YWCO. The Mean Machine Fall 2010 version was just beginning.
October...
The Colorado Rapids captured the MLS Cup in frigid Toronto in what was probably the only full MLS game I watched this past year. Tottenham worked to prove that the '09-'10 was no fluke while Gareth Bale terrorized opposing defences with his blistering pace. Chelsea came back to the pack and Mean Machine got off to an undefeated start.
November...
Mean Machine went into the playoffs as the second seed and won their first round playoff game in overtime. Liverpool looked poised to climb their way back up the table with a couple of impressive victories. The Champions League was wrapping up it's Group Stages without many meaningful matches left.
December...
If I told you to decide which location you would like to spend a summer playing soccer which would you choose? Option 1 is a developed country, mild to hot weather, freedom to drink, to choose your religion, and your sexual preference, passionate fans from almost every country in the world and you could come play right now and your stadium would be ready. Option 2 is a developed country, summer highs that reach 110 degrees, no beer, no jews, women can't show their skin and your stadium still has to be built AND it's going to be air conditioned outside, o yea and it might be in another country, in the winter. I'm sure if you think like FIFA you will choose Option 2. So yes, the 2022 World Cup will be in Qatar/Surrounding Countries that Weren't on the Ballot and barring the real life re-creation of "The Day After Tomorrow" it will be the hottest world cup to date. As a side note, Russia was awarded the 2018 World Cup.
In real news, Mean Machine lost in the finals after an undefeated season.
Recap...
From a personal standpoint, 2010 was my best year to date. I learned a lot about who I am, what I want to do and where I want to be. I returned to the soccer field with a new passion and joy for the game and can't wait to get back out there. From a global standpoint, I think soccer has never been stronger. The 2010 World Cup brought the country of South Africa under the microscope and they didn't flinch one bit as gracious and enthusiastic hosts. I think their road could be a little rough in during the post tournament hangover but I don't think their residents would regret one minute of it. An unseen passion swept across the United States as the working men and women of the country found new excuses each week to sneak off to the bar to watch our country play. 2010 has been a fantastic year all around and here is to a healthy, happy, shot stopping, play making and goal scoring 2011!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Back on the Pitch: Finals Reflection
Yesterday marked the final game of the Fall Men's Competitive season. It ended sadly with a 1-0 defeat in the finals. It was our first loss of the year but we can hold our heads high knowing we played well. It really was a good game and unfortunately, as the cliche goes, someone had to lose.
A funny thing happened as I was preparing for this game and that was that I realized this was probably the most significant match I had played in since I got out of high school. Now, this isn't to discredit any of my Intramural championships, but in the sense of playing true soccer, where everyone on the field cares about the stakes and will do anything to achieve those, this was certainly a long awaited welcome. With this thought in mind it has given me the opportunity to look back on the past six months in Athens (will be half a year in January) and how getting back on the pitch has been as therapeutic as anything I've done here to getting comfortable in my new environment.
I started this blog with the purpose of talking about soccer. The issues, the games, the players, but as you can tell I have slacked a bit on that aspect. The main reason my blog was created was out of sure boredom. I was alone, in a new state with a new job and not much else going on. So based on this theory it is a good thing I haven't been posting because; a.) I'm no longer alone b.) I'm growing comfortable in Georgia c.) I've settled into my job and d.) I have stuff going on. Now the most important factor in relation to why this entry is important is d. I have stuff going on thanks to my love of soccer. I found a team (which I'll come back to in a moment) and I recertified as a soccer official. The officiating was actually a lot more enjoyable this time around. I think having a few more years experience and not being a bratty teenager who didn't realize this was the easiest way to make money, played a big role in my new attitude. I ended up reffing about 20 games, and made some nice headway towards funding the big 2012 event. Back to the team. More specifically, Mean Machine. Now I can't thank Mr. Iain Halstead enough for this past fall. I sent an email out of the blue and wound up playing keeper for one of the two undefeated teams in the league. The trust and faith (or just blind desperation) behind putting a keeper he'd never seen before between the sticks is something I'll always be grateful for.
Not only was this team successful, it had some of the best chemistry I've experienced from a team of thrown together players. About the only thing we had in common at the beginning of the season was that we all wanted to play soccer. We had our moments and our growing pains but we quickly became a formidable unit that played together and supported one anothers strengths and weaknesses. As any of you who know me, it didn't take long for me to find my voice and start barking orders but I knew my words weren't falling on deaf ears. These were players who wanted to be the best for the fifty minutes they were on the field and those are the best kind of teammates. I'd like to say I've made some good friends, truly my first friends here in Athens. Naturally I've made the best connection with our sweeper, Brennan, a bond that usually comes from two people who have an interest in preventing goals, playing Halo and watching Dexter. (Substitute Dexter with the Office and you essentially have Eric, happy birthday btw)
These past six months have been a whirlwind, but soccer has provided a peace and calm to my life. It always has. I think I find comfort on the soccer field because it is an honest evaluator of who you are. You're actions always speak louder than your words and your true talent always shows through. You can't fake or lie your way through a game, let alone a full season. It may only be a game, but it is an expression of self, it is not defined by points or baskets. A player can be clever or skillful, brash or brave, smart or courageous and will be appreciated regardless if they contribute to the score sheet. For the duration of the game there is only one target that every member of your team is working towards achieving. You succeed and fail together, but in the end we all go back to our lives and hope the next game gets here quickly.
A funny thing happened as I was preparing for this game and that was that I realized this was probably the most significant match I had played in since I got out of high school. Now, this isn't to discredit any of my Intramural championships, but in the sense of playing true soccer, where everyone on the field cares about the stakes and will do anything to achieve those, this was certainly a long awaited welcome. With this thought in mind it has given me the opportunity to look back on the past six months in Athens (will be half a year in January) and how getting back on the pitch has been as therapeutic as anything I've done here to getting comfortable in my new environment.
I started this blog with the purpose of talking about soccer. The issues, the games, the players, but as you can tell I have slacked a bit on that aspect. The main reason my blog was created was out of sure boredom. I was alone, in a new state with a new job and not much else going on. So based on this theory it is a good thing I haven't been posting because; a.) I'm no longer alone b.) I'm growing comfortable in Georgia c.) I've settled into my job and d.) I have stuff going on. Now the most important factor in relation to why this entry is important is d. I have stuff going on thanks to my love of soccer. I found a team (which I'll come back to in a moment) and I recertified as a soccer official. The officiating was actually a lot more enjoyable this time around. I think having a few more years experience and not being a bratty teenager who didn't realize this was the easiest way to make money, played a big role in my new attitude. I ended up reffing about 20 games, and made some nice headway towards funding the big 2012 event. Back to the team. More specifically, Mean Machine. Now I can't thank Mr. Iain Halstead enough for this past fall. I sent an email out of the blue and wound up playing keeper for one of the two undefeated teams in the league. The trust and faith (or just blind desperation) behind putting a keeper he'd never seen before between the sticks is something I'll always be grateful for.
Not only was this team successful, it had some of the best chemistry I've experienced from a team of thrown together players. About the only thing we had in common at the beginning of the season was that we all wanted to play soccer. We had our moments and our growing pains but we quickly became a formidable unit that played together and supported one anothers strengths and weaknesses. As any of you who know me, it didn't take long for me to find my voice and start barking orders but I knew my words weren't falling on deaf ears. These were players who wanted to be the best for the fifty minutes they were on the field and those are the best kind of teammates. I'd like to say I've made some good friends, truly my first friends here in Athens. Naturally I've made the best connection with our sweeper, Brennan, a bond that usually comes from two people who have an interest in preventing goals, playing Halo and watching Dexter. (Substitute Dexter with the Office and you essentially have Eric, happy birthday btw)
These past six months have been a whirlwind, but soccer has provided a peace and calm to my life. It always has. I think I find comfort on the soccer field because it is an honest evaluator of who you are. You're actions always speak louder than your words and your true talent always shows through. You can't fake or lie your way through a game, let alone a full season. It may only be a game, but it is an expression of self, it is not defined by points or baskets. A player can be clever or skillful, brash or brave, smart or courageous and will be appreciated regardless if they contribute to the score sheet. For the duration of the game there is only one target that every member of your team is working towards achieving. You succeed and fail together, but in the end we all go back to our lives and hope the next game gets here quickly.
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